First Daily Agiles take to the streets of London
Catering butcher Fairfax Meadow has taken delivery of 10 Iveco Daily AGile chassis cabs on full service contract hire from Fraikin. They represent the first examples of Iveco’s popular light commercial vehicle range to enter operation in the UK with the new factory-fitted six-speed automatic transmission.
The fleet replaces ten existing Daily’s based at the company’s Kentish Town distribution centre and will operate on major delivery routes in central London and inside the M25.
Fairfax Meadow, part of Argent Group Europe Ltd, is also using the introduction of the 3.5 tonne Daily AGile 35S12s to trial fuelling its vehicles with part-biodiesel, manufactured by sister-company Argent Energy in Motherwell. This environmentally friendly road fuel contains a blend of five per cent biodiesel to 95 per cent mineral diesel, offering improved engine lubrication whilst burning more completely and thereby reducing emissions.
Mike Reid, Group National Transport Manager of Fairfax Meadow, says: "We trialled a demonstrator from Iveco and felt the automatic gearbox was extremely driver-friendly. We soon realised that it would be ideal for operation on our routes in the centre of London and surrounding urban areas.
"Other benefits we are expecting to see from the Daily AGiles include improved clutch wear, leading to a reduction in unexpected downtime and improved fuel efficiency," he adds.
Fraikin has arranged specific training from Iveco for each Fairfax Meadow driver, focusing on the Daily AGile’s two different gearbox modes, which comprise completely automatic or manual sequential gear selection, using a lever on the dashboard. The transmission is an intelligent system and adapts automatically to each drivers’ individual style whilst maximising fuel economy, offering levels of driving comfort normally only associated with a car.
Fairfax Meadow operates a fleet of over 60 commercial vehicles, including 44 Iveco Daily chassis cabs. The company ordered its first vehicle on contract hire from Fraikin in 1996, and the relationship has continued to grow ever since. The fleet is split between six depots across England and Wales offering a national service and supplying an extensive customer base with both chilled and frozen meat products daily.
The full service contract hire agreement covers each of the new Daily AGiles for inspections, repair & maintenance, road fund licensing, 24 hour breakdown support and tyres. Technicians at Fraikin’s Heathrow branch have also received specialist training from Iveco on servicing the new automatic gearboxes, with a new range of unique Iveco parts held in stock.
The vehicles are all powered by a 2.3 litre HPI diesel engine developing up to 116hp, making them responsive in traffic and ideal for use both in and out of the city.
